When others see it too
by kouw
Summary: Charlie is making a habit of falling asleep in Charles Carson's arms. Fluff. No regrets. Carson/Hughes one-shot


**A/N:** Another fic featuring Elsie, Charles and little Charlie. Major fluff alert - have your dentist on standby.  
As always: reviews terribly aprreciated and rewarded with never ending love.

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Charlie was toddling about Elsie's parlour and she checked on him while she did the invoices. He picked up little things and placed them somewhere else, stirred with a little wooden spoon in an empty bowl and murmured words that were not yet distinguishable. Elsie loved having Charlie around her. She had to be a bit strict at times and he would protest, but most of the time he was really sweet.

"What do you have there?" Elsie took a small item Charlie held out to her.

"It's one of Mr Carson's cufflinks... however did that end up in here?" She thought about it, but couldn't think of any reason why Charles' cufflink would be in her parlour.

"Maybe we should find Mr Carson and give it back. Come on, Charlie." She got up from her swivel chair and took Charlie's hand in hers. He pulled it back and laughed.

"Oh, i see. This is how it is, is it? You want me to carry you all over the place? And you are such a strong little lad!" Sometimes Elsie felt very silly for talking to the toddler, but she figured that if she wouldn't, the child would never learn to speak. She picked him up and put the cufflink in the pocket of her dress. Charlie cuddled against her.

"Are you tired, my boy?" she quietly asked, not expecting an answer. Charlie held onto her tightly. She kissed his hair and tried not to think of how it would have felt like if this child had been her own. Her arms full of sleepy toddler, she made her way to the butler's pantry and knocked on the door.

"Mr Carson?"

"Come in."

Elsie pushed open the door, careful not to let go of Charlie.

"Mmpah!" Charlie happily cried out, pushed himself off Elsie's shoulder and leaned towards Charles, who gladly took Charlie in his arms and cuddled him close.

"I can see i am only second choice." Elsie said with a bit of a smirk.

"Obviously." Charles winked at Elsie.

"Charlie found your cufflink in my parlour." Elsie held out her hand, the cufflink in her palm. Charles took it, looking slightly sheepish.

"Thank you..."

Elsie didn't notice Charles faint flush. "Did Charlie just call you 'grandpa'?" Elsie was utterly puzzled. The boy said very few words - 'no' being his favourite - and hearing him utter something resembling a word with such connotations had struck a nerve.

"No, i don't think so." Charles crinkled his eyebrows. He looked at Charlie who had made himself comfortable, his little legs on one side, his head steady against Charles' chest. He was about to doze off.

"I think he did..." She brushed the hair from the boy's face. Charles took hold of her hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked. His voice was tender and Elsie smiled at him.

"I think little Charlie could not wish for a better grandfather than the one he is with right now."

He smiled back at her and Elsie could feel her heart flutter in her chest. Charlie made a noise and they both looked at him. He was sleeping.

"His cot is in my sitting room." Elsie volunteered. Charles rose from his chair with Charlie and followed her. They passed the servants' hall and a few maids were doing sides to middle sheets, used for the attic rooms where the servants slept. Elsie didn't like side to middle sheets, but she had little choice: if she was letting scullery maids sleep on them, she would have to too.

"Oh... look at him..." Elsie heard one of the maids say to another. "Yes, it is adorable how the little tyke falls asleep in Mr Carson's arms." "If you didn't know any better, you'd think Charlie is his grandson." The girls giggled a little. "Then Mrs Hughes would be his grandmother." More giggles. "They both dote on the child."

Elsie couldn't hear anymore, she had reached the door of her sitting room and let Charles in. He lowered Charlie into the cot and tucked the boy in. They stood over the cot and Charles took her hand.

"You look pale." he assessed.

"I'm alright." she answered.

"Did their comments hurt you?"

"Not really."

They stood there for a while. The clock in the corner ticked away the minutes.

"Do you remember when i caught Charlie as he almost fell off your settee?"

"Yes, i do." Elsie blushed profusely. He had kissed her for the first time straight after that pretty spectacular save.

"I had told you that one day you'd sleep in my arms too."

"You did." But she hadn't yet. They had kissed and... well... petted, for lack of a better word.

"Grandparents usually sleep in the same bed." He remarked.

"They do."

Charles turned to her and took her face in his hands and kissed her lips tenderly.

"They do."

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**A/N:** Don't sue me for dentist bills please.


End file.
